What students learn

Lauren Learner loves science. Watch this video to find out what she learns in eigth grade. >

When you’re ready:

  • Find a summary of each unit below including each unit’s student role and anchor phenomenon.
  • Click on the orange “See how the unit works” link to download a helpful Unit Guide. These guides make great companions to busy reviewers looking for a big-picture understanding of how each unit works.

 

Two people climbing rocky terrain; illustrations show a hiking boot and a belt with gear.

Harnessing Human Energy


Student role: Energy scientists


Phenomenon: Rescue workers can use their own human kinetic energy to power electrical devices used during rescue missions.

Force and Motion


Student role: Physicists


Phenomenon: The asteroid sample-collecting pod collided with the docking station and failed to dock as planned.
See how this unit works
Green geometric background with a hexagonal emblem containing a parachute icon, ruler, bandage, and stacked layers on a gradient pattern.

Force and Motion Engineering Internship

Student role: Mechanical engineering interns

Phenomenon: Designing emergency supply delivery pods with different structures can better protect pods and their contents.

Magnetic Fields


Student role: Physicists


Phenomenon: During its third magnetic spacecraft launcher test, a model spacecraft far exceeded its target speed.
Illustration of a person in a red hat and fur-lined coat with eyes closed, surrounded by large orange circles on a dark background.

Thermal Energy


Student role: Thermal scientists


Phenomenon: Riverdale School needs a new heating system. Only one of two proposed systems is the best choice.
See how this unit works
Ilustración que muestra las etapas de fusión de una paleta de naranja: entera, parcialmente derretida, más derretida y casi derretida por completo, con palitos de madera, sobre un fondo morado.

Phase Change


Student role: Chemists


Phenomenon: A methane lake on Titan no longer appears in images taken by a space probe two years apart.
See how this unit works
Green geometric graphic featuring icons: a baby, thermometer, layers, medical alert, and a flame.

Phase Change Engineering Internship

Student role: Chemical engineering interns

Phenomenon: Designing portable baby incubators with different phase change materials helps keep babies’ temperatures healthy.
Obra de arte digital abstracta que presenta numerosos círculos rojos y grises superpuestos sobre un fondo dividido de azul y violeta claro, creando una composición dinámica y enérgica.

Chemical Reactions


Student role: Forensic chemists


Phenomenon: A mysterious reddish-brown substance has been detected in the tap water of Westfield.
See how this unit works
Ilustración que muestra flechas amarillas que representan energía o radiación que se acerca a la Tierra desde el lado izquierdo y representa una capa atmosférica protectora alrededor del planeta.

Light Waves


Student role: Spectroscopists

Phenomenon: The rate of skin cancer in Australia is higher than other parts of the world despite getting the same or less sunlight.
See how this unit works

How teachers teach

Tom Teacher feels confident delivering 3-D instruction with our resources by his side. Watch this video to learn more. >

When you’re ready:

  • Scroll down and take a closer look at your classroom resources.
  • Click on the orange links below each component to see grade-specific samples.

 

Classroom Slides

These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.
Video introduction to Classroom Slides

Teacher's Reference Guide

Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.
Login to platform below to access
Surtido de suministros de bricolaje que incluyen tornillos, clavos, baterías, cajas metálicas, bandas elásticas, paneles solares, cables, botes y otros componentes pequeños cuidadosamente dispuestos sobre un fondo blanco.

Materials Kits

Our kits include enough non-consumable materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, you have enough materials to support all five periods and small groups of 4-5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean you just grab the tub you need and then put it all back with ease.
A laptop screen displaying a map with three ecosystem options, each illustrated by different animal icons and accompanied by relevant data lists.

Simulations and Practice Tools

Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.
Video overview of digital tools

Consumable Notebooks

Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.
Sample Student Investigation Notebook Sample Student Investigation Notebook (Spanish)

Student Edition Hardcover

This durable Student Edition is grade-level specific and contains all of the articles that students refer to throughout the year. Districts may choose to pair these traditional student texts with our digital student experience or new 2-volume consumable notebook set.

Coming Soon

Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. What’s more, we’ll push them out to you even after you adopt us!
See what's coming for 2020-2021

Navigating the program

Watch the video to the right plus the ones below showing you how to navigate our digital platform. Then following the instructions below. >

    • Click the orange button below to access the platform.
    • Choose the resources you’d like to review.
    • Pick your grade level from the drop-down menu.
    • Scroll down to find additional grade-level resources.

 

Access the digital platform now

 

Navigating a Launch Unit

Launch units are the first units taught in each year of the program. The goal of a Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year.

Navigating a Core Unit

Core units introduce a real-world problem and support students as they figure out the anchoring phenomenon and gain an understanding of the unit’s DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs.

Navigating an Engineering Internship

Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.

Navigating Classwork and Reporting

Classwork is our new online grading tool that gives you quick and easy access to unreviewed work, student portfolios of work, and automatically generated differentiation groups.